Ash receptacle and cigarette butt snuffer



May 9, 1944.

ASH RECEPTACLE AND CIGARETTE BUTT SNUFFER c. A. SHEPARD 2,348,368

Filed Nov. 8, 1940 10 ll 5 l7 l8 m I I I r33- I 0] 1% V l [4, F": a i :aa 5

I /7 l /a Ir m V n :6 INVENTOR.

EFigL FLEHE H D Patented May 9, 1944 (ASH RECEPTACLE AND CIGARETTE BUTT SNUFFER Carl A. Shepard, Des Moines, Iowa Application November 8, 1940, Serial No. 364,828

7 Claims.

The principal object of my invention is to provide an ash receptacle for receiving and holding tobacco ashes, cigarette butts and like that has integrally associated with it a handy means for extinguishing a lighted cigarette butt.

A further object of this invention is to provide an ash receptacle having a cigarette butt snuffer that is easily manually operated without soiling the fingers during the extinguishing of a cigarette butt.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an ash receptacle having a cigarette butt snufier that automatically drops the extinguished cigarette butt into the receptacle portion after the same has been extinguished.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a combination ash receptacle and cigarette butt snufier that is easy to operate, refined in appearance, economical in manufacture and durable in use.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth,

pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

. Fig. 1 is a side view of my device ready for use.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of my device.

Fig. 3 is a side sectional view of my device in a position for receiving a cigarette butt.

Fig. 4 is a side view of the upper portion of my device extinguishing a lighted end of a cigarette butt as shown by dotted lines.

Fig. 5 is a side view in section of the upper portion of my device takenon line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

There are many types of'ash receptacles in general use. I Most of these containers are either open at their tops or have a closing trapdoor. In either type no means is provided for immediately extinguishing the lighted end of the cigarette butt at the time it is placed within the receptacle. I have overcome such objections by providing an easily operated mechanism that compresses and extinguishes the cigarette butt at the time it is deposited within the receptacle.

Referring to the drawing, I have used the numeral II) to designate a cup portion which forms the base portion of my device. This cup portion may be placed to rest upon the table or like supporting surface or it may be secured or mounted to a standard resting on the floor or 4.

datchable cover portion as shown in Fig. 3. The numeral I3 designates a vertical collar integrally formed on the top of the lid II and embracing a hole I4 extending completely through the lid II as shown in Fig. 4. The numerals I5 and I6 designate two spaced apart U-members secured to the inside bottom of the lid I I. These U-members extend vertically downwardly and are positioned diametrically opposite from each other at each side of the opening I4. The numeral II designates an inverted cup member having an opening I8 in its end wall and slidably mounted in and through the collar I3 and hole I4 as shown in the drawing. The numeral |9 designates a bar member hingedly secured between its two ends on a shaft 29 which is secured to the lower portion of the inverted cup I! as shown in Fig. 3. The upper end portion of this bar I9 terminates just below the inside bottom of the inverted cup I1 and its lower end portion extends through and slides on the horizontal bottom portion of the loop U-member I5. In general, the length of the member I9 extends downwardly and to the left. The numeral 2| designates. a similar bar member hingedly secured between its two ends on the shaft 22 which is secured to the bottom portion of the inverted cup member I! as shown in Fig. 3. This bar 2| hasits upper end terminating just below the inside bottom of the inverted cup member I! and its lower end portion slidably engaging the bottom center portion of the U-member I6. In general the member 2| extends downwardly and to the right. The pivot points of the two bar members I9 and 2| are diametrically opposite from each other on the lower end portion of the inverted cup member I! as shown in the drawing, and cut away portions 23 are provided in the lower portion of the inverted cup member to permit the movement of the two members I9 and 2|. Under normal conditions the two members I9 and 2| will be spaced apart and in a plane at each side of the opening I8 as shown in Fig. 3. The numeral 24 designates a coil spring having one end connected to the lower portion of the bar l9 and its other end connected to the lower portion of the bar 2| for yieldingly holding the two lower end portions of these two bars toward each other. By virtue of the action of this spring 24, the two bar members 9 and 2| will slide upwardly on the hangers I5 and I9, thereby carrying the inverted cup member IT to the elevated position shown in Fig. 3. The upward movement of the inverted cup member I], however, will be limited by the shafts 20 and 22 or the bars l9 and 2| engaging a stop collar 25 on the inside bottom of the inverted cup l1. Obviously if the inverted cup member I! is manually forced down, it will be against the yielding action of the spring 24 and the lower end portions of the bars 261 and 21 will spread further apart by sliding action on the hangers I5 and I6, thereby bringing the two upper end portions of the bars l9 and 2| together as shown in Fig. 4. By releasing pressure on the inverted cup member II, the spring 24 will automatically return the inverted cup member to an elevated position and the upper end portions of the bars l9 and 2| in'a spread position.

To operate my device, it is merely necessary to stick the lighted end of a cigarette 23 through the hole 18 and in a position between the two upper end portions of the bars 19 and 2! and,

push downwardly with the same fingers that are holding the cigarette butt on the inverted cup member. This'downward movement of the inverted cup member will force the two upper end portionsof the bars l8 and 2| together on the ignited end-of the cigarette thereby flattening, snufiing or pinching the lighted end of the cigarette and extinguishing it. When the two bar members l9 and 2! arein such positions, their upper end portions will be parallel with each other at each side of the lighted end of the cigarette as shown in Fig. 4. .By releasing pressure on the inverted cup l1 and releasing the cigarette butt, the two upper end portions of the bar-arms l9 and 2| will separate, thereby permitting the cigarette butt to fall downwardly and into the receptacle portion of the device. The placement of the cigarette butt in the receptacle and the extinguishing of the same is accomplished with one movement of the hand holding the cigarette butt.

"Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of my improved ash receptacle and cigarette butt snufier without departing from the realspirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanicalequivalents which may be reason ably included within their scope.

1. In a device of the class described, an inverted cup member having an opening in its end wall and adapted to be slidably mounted in a wall of a container, two spaced apart J'aw members hingedly secured to said inverted cup member, and a means for yieldingly holding said two jaw members apart and said inverted cupv member in an elevated position of its sliding movement.

2. In a device of the class described/an inverted cup member having an opening in its end wall and adapted to be slidably mounted through a wall of a container, two supporting members within such container, a bar member hingedly secured to the lower portion of said inverted cup member havingits'lower end slidably engaging one of said supporting members and its other end terminating within said inverted cup member, a second bar member hingedly secured to the lower portion of said inverted cup member having its lower endslidably engaging the other said supporting member, and its upper end portion terminating inside said inverted cup member; said inverted cup member, said bars and said supporting members being so arranged that when said inverted cup member is in a lowered position the upper ends of said bars will be closely adjacent to each other andwhen said inverted cup member is in an elevated position said bar members will have their upper portions spaced relatively far apart, and a means for yieldingly holding said inverted cup member in an elevated position.

3. In a device of the class described, an inverted cup member having an opening in its end wall and adapted to be slidably mounted through a wall of a. container, two supporting members within such container, a bar member hingedly secured to the lower portion of said inverted cup member having its lower end slidably engaging one of said supporting members and its other end terminating within said inverted cup member, a second bar member hingedly secured to the lower portion of said inverted cup member having its lower end slidably engaging the other said supporting member, and its upper end portion terminating inside said inverted cup member; said inverted cup member, said bars and said supporting members being so arranged that when said inverted cup member is-in a-lowered position the upper-ends of saidibars will be closely adjacent to eachbther and when said inverted cup member is in an elevated position said bar members will have their upper portions spaced relatively far apart, and a coil spring having one end connected to thelowerportion of one of said bar members and its other end connected to the lower portion ofsaid other bar member for yieldingly holding the upper ends of said bar members apart, and said inverted cup member in an elevated position.

4. In a device of the class described, an inverted cup member having an opening in it end wall and adapted to be slidably mounted through a wall of a container, two supporting members within such container, a bar member hingedly se cured to the lower portion of said inverted cup member having its lower end slidably engaging one of said supporting members and its other end terminating within said inverted cup member, a second bar member hingedly securedto the ower portion of said inverted cup member having its lower end slidably engaging the other said supporting member, and its upper endportion ter minating insidev said inverted cup member; said inverted cup member, said bars and said supporting members beingso arranged that when said inverted cup member is in a lowered position the upper ends of said bars will be closely ad jacent to each other and when said inverted cup member is in an elevated positionsaid bar members will have their upper portions spaced relatively far apart, and a means for yieldingly pull ing the lower end portions of said two bar members toward each other. V

5. In a device of the classdescribed, an inverted cup member having an opening in its end wall and adapted to be slidably mounted through the top of a container, two hanger members inside such container and positioned diametrically opposite from each other at each side of said inverted cup member, a bar member hingedly secured between its two ends to the lower portion of said inverted cup member having its upper end terminating within the inverted cup member and its lower end supported by and slidably riding on one of said hangers, a second bar member hingedly secured between its two ends to the lower portion of said inverted cup member having its other end terminating within said inverted cup member and its lower end portion supported by and slidably riding on said other hanger mem- 6. In a device of the class described an inverted 7. In a device of the class described a shell cup having an opening in its end wall and adapted portion having openings in generally opposite porto be slidably mounted in a wall of a container, tions of its wall structure adapted to be slidably jaw members disposed at least in part Within said mounted in a wall of a container and pivotable inverted cup and pivotally mounted on said in- 5 jaw members disposed within said shell and verted cup and yieldable means for maintaining mounted on said shell. said inverted cup in an outward position of its CARL A. SHEPARD. slide movement. 

